DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5074#0192
174
JERUSALEM.
across Jerusalem, from outside the Damascus Grate to
the Grate of the Mogharibeh, and through that into
the valley of Siloam : like everything else it is very
much filled up with the accumulated soil, but it is still
a broad and deep valley, into which the wet of even a
single rainy day drains so much that it quickly becomes
an almost impassable morass in some parts; the southern
half of this valley contains a number of very interest-
ing objects, besides its being itself the ancient Tyropseon
mentioned by Josephus. From the extreme end the
remains of the ancient Bridge and the Wailing-place of
the Jews are seen; the latter, believed to be a portion
of the ancient Temple Wall, is a sad and melancholy
place, which no one, I think, can visit on a Friday
without feeling that the sorrow of the Jews is real and
unaffected; their lamentations are probably not only for
their desolated Temple, but they pray here, as Catholics
do at a particularly holy spot, bringing their private
troubles or trials to " lay them before the Lord " with
tears and sobs : many pass the entire morning reading
and reciting psalms and prayers beneath the sacred
stones, and whatever may be the cause of their emotion,
the effect is real enough.
Close to this is the lane leading to the very beautiful
"Bab el Silsileh " — the Grate of the Chain — into the
Haram : a lovely little fountain stands close to it, and in
the fine old Hall of Justice at one side a handsomely
carved sarcophagus may be seen, which was brought from
the " Tomb of the Kings." Then comes another beau-
tiful Arab fountain close to some ancient Baths, from
which the Mooslims say there is a subterranean conduit
connected with that under the " noble cave;" the Baths
are now deserted and broken: a few steps further on is
the old Cotton Bazaar, also deserted, and another pretty
JERUSALEM.
across Jerusalem, from outside the Damascus Grate to
the Grate of the Mogharibeh, and through that into
the valley of Siloam : like everything else it is very
much filled up with the accumulated soil, but it is still
a broad and deep valley, into which the wet of even a
single rainy day drains so much that it quickly becomes
an almost impassable morass in some parts; the southern
half of this valley contains a number of very interest-
ing objects, besides its being itself the ancient Tyropseon
mentioned by Josephus. From the extreme end the
remains of the ancient Bridge and the Wailing-place of
the Jews are seen; the latter, believed to be a portion
of the ancient Temple Wall, is a sad and melancholy
place, which no one, I think, can visit on a Friday
without feeling that the sorrow of the Jews is real and
unaffected; their lamentations are probably not only for
their desolated Temple, but they pray here, as Catholics
do at a particularly holy spot, bringing their private
troubles or trials to " lay them before the Lord " with
tears and sobs : many pass the entire morning reading
and reciting psalms and prayers beneath the sacred
stones, and whatever may be the cause of their emotion,
the effect is real enough.
Close to this is the lane leading to the very beautiful
"Bab el Silsileh " — the Grate of the Chain — into the
Haram : a lovely little fountain stands close to it, and in
the fine old Hall of Justice at one side a handsomely
carved sarcophagus may be seen, which was brought from
the " Tomb of the Kings." Then comes another beau-
tiful Arab fountain close to some ancient Baths, from
which the Mooslims say there is a subterranean conduit
connected with that under the " noble cave;" the Baths
are now deserted and broken: a few steps further on is
the old Cotton Bazaar, also deserted, and another pretty